Soil use, sustainability and conservation

Soil is our most important resource, and also
the most maligned and misunderstood. The world population will double in
a mere forty years, but agricultural output is not keeping up with demand.
In the process, precious soil is lost, waterways and coastal seas polluted.
Humans obviously need to be much more knowledgeable about this problem.
What is soil? Where does it come from? What kinds of soil exist? Are all
soils fertile? How does soil work? Can all places on the planet be farmed?
How much food can the planet make? How do we lose soil? How can we prevent
erosion? What damage is caused by erosion? What is sustainability? Can
soil be farmed sustainably? What can we do?

The human race depends on its agricultural soil for food. As the population
doubles and the soils degrade, it will become a race between technology
and dwindling natural resources in order to save mankind. (9 pages)

Soils originate from the cauldron of Earth and are recycled and redistributed
by the conveyor belts of plate tectonics. Although basic elements are fairly
evenly spread, the rocks that contain them, are not. Soil is formed very
slowly from the bedrock, under influence of climate and life. (10 pages)

One of the most important factors in soil formation and nutrient cycling
is the influence from plant roots, bacteria, fungi and myriads of other
creatures. The essence of farming rests ultimately in how to manage this
underground 'circus'. (15 pages)

Substances that have proved to enhance growth and productivity, can
be added to the soil. Every plant and soil has its own requirements. Where
do these fertilisers come from, what are their benefits and limitations?
(15 pages)

Farming must satisfy many criteria: it must be profitable, produce
more food than the fossil and other energy used, be friendly to the soil
and neighbouring soils, river and sea, and replenish the soil for all following
generations and also provide a living for rural communities. (19 pages)

Although erosion, the loss of soil, is natural, it has increased dramatically
over time. Lost soil also damages, rivers, lakes, wetlands, beaches and
the ocean. For a sustainable future, minimising soil loss is the most important
task of mankind. How can we do it? How does it work? (23 pages)

The seas everywhere in the world are deteriorating at alarming rates.
Through Dr Anthoni's research, you are the first to read how this works.
Runoff from the land in the form of soil loss, animal excrement, human
sewage, and excessive use of fertiliser are its main causes. Alarming reading,
documented with hard facts. Since mid 2005, Dr Anthoni also made several
important ecological discoveries and a scientific method (the Dark
Decay Assay) to support his findings and to measure the health
of seas, rivers and lakes objectively. (many pages)

Introduction

It may come as a surprise to find a large section about to soil, geology
and erosion on a web site devoted to the conservation of the sea. The reason
is that soil erosion is the biggest problem affecting our seas, not just
in New Zealand, but even more so all over the world. Far too much muddy
water enters our coastal seas, overfertilising them and suffocating sensitive
organisms. In the process we are rapidly destroying our coastal biodiversity,
while also losing our precious soils.
Another reason is that our agricultural base is under serious threat,
so much in fact, that the world may not be able to feed the ten billion
people expected to inhabit Earth within 40 years. It appears that humans
are walking into an enormous trap, with their eyes wide open.

Humankind is poised to enter a new era, which arrives so suddenly that
preparation is almost impossible. Within fifty or even forty years, the
world's population will double, while (hopefully for everyone) affluence
will also spread to the poor people of the world. Their combined effect
is an enormous stress on the world's resources, of which soil and coastal
seas are the most important.

Humans
have been cultivating soil for many thousands of years, and whole civilisations
have been made possible by its improvements in efficiency and productivity.
Yet, this most important resource has always been poorly understood, resulting
in misadventure, overexploitation and collapse of the very civilisations
it once supported. Is this our fate in the 21st century? We see at one
end of the spectrum, entrepreneurs raping the soil for short-term profit
and on the other end health-conscious greenies imprisoned by their many
strange beliefs. Somewhere in the middle we'll find the path of common
sense.

This section, consisting of several chapters, tries to make you understand
how soil works, how it can be coaxed into sustainable production and how
it can so easily be lost. While researching the content for this section,
I was struck by how the relevant information appeared scattered in far
too many books and references, as if the overview was lacking, as if nobody
really knew how it all works together. I also found many conflicting statements.
In this section I have not only tried to collect, collate and present all
relevant information, but also to make it easy to read, understand and
learn. Many colourful diagrams and maps have been drawn for this purpose.

In the various chapters, we'll analyse how much we depend on soil, and
how it was formed by Earth's mysterious cycles. Although you won't need
to become a geologist, some geologic knowledge is absolutely necessary.
The soil's ecology is a new discipline, uncovering the functions and roles
of soil organisms and opening the way to sustainability.
People have always known that some substances like fertiliser promote
plant growth and increase yield, without an appreciable increase in work
or cost. In a world of rapidly increasing populations and limited agricultural
land, we need to be able to increase yield, without spoiling the earth,
waterways and seas. We need to be able to retain the precious nutrients
that feed the plants, and it is in this area that appreciable gains can
be made. In the section on sustainability, we'll boldly define natural
laws that will help us to manage our soils sustainably (forever). The importance
of soil organisms for soil fertility has been underestimated.
In the chapter on erosion, we'll focus on the forces that erode the
land and how they can be harnessed for sustainability. An important contributor
to soil loss is urban development and roading, and the ways the road's
margins are managed. Major improvements can be made here too. Finally,
the subject is reviewed for the situation in New Zealand, a relatively
young country which struggles to conquer its own and unique problems.

One
of the amazing outcomes of this resource on soil is how pressing the situation
in the world has become. One of our greatest renewable resources, our soil,
is under severe threat, and with it our fresh waters and coastal seas.
When driving through the countryside and seeing the fertile landscape unfold
in checkered colours, one would not for a moment conceive that this sight
is not forever. It would be so easy, so it seems, to accommodate a doubling
of the population. There's space everywhere! Yet, the careful measurements
and estimates made by many scientists around the world, tell a different
story. Even if our own place in the world remains manageable, even sustainable,
we would not escape from the world-wide effects of deforestation and pollution.
As the soil bleeds into the sea, it causes almost irreversible changes
there too, evident from the disappearance of species, poisonous plankton
blooms and demise of coastal fishing. Do we really wish to be remembered
as the generation that caused it but did nothing about it, because we were
ignorant about it?
My wish is that many will read the pages that follow. The world needs
wiser wise men.

A section on soil would be incomplete without addressing the use of
pesticides, herbicides and discussing the dangers and benefits of genetic
engineering. Forgive me that I have not done so yet. For constructive feedback,
contact
me.
Floor Anthoni, 11 November 02000.